Dan J Epstein Family Foundation
The Dan J Epstein Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports 22 grants totaling $877,409 to charitable organizations, including arts and education organizations, universities, and other nonprofits.
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Dan J Epstein Family Foundation gave $877K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), top state New York. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $877,409
- +7.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- -21.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,882
- +36.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $5,643,608
- -11.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (10 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (43% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Dan J Epstein Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1310 N Ritchie Court 24A, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (773) 755-1531
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Dan J Epstein Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Julliard School ($196K). Together the top 10 received $760K.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 123 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 43% of grant dollars went to organizations in New York, 26% to Illinois, 12% to Florida, 9% to California, and 8% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Dan J Epstein Family Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 22 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 103% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 149% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $433K (2021) to $877K (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $877K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Julliard School New York, NY | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $196,399 |
| Ben Brown Gallery New York, NY | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $115,000 |
| New World Symphony Miami Beach, FL | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $102,500 |
| Forward Momentum Chicago Chicago, IL | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $100,000 |
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $70,000 |
| Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $60,000 |
| Alas-Wings Chicago, IL | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $30,750 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $30,000 |
| NY STEM Cell Foundation New York, NY | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $30,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization. | $25,709 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,643,608 | $638,569 | $1,269,521 | $877,409 | 22 | $877,409 | $246,457 | $587,362 |
| 2023 | $6,368,232 | $967,313 | $1,160,571 | $818,753 | 28 | $818,753 | $625,495 | $515,860 |
| 2022 | $6,523,598 | $1,176,657 | $958,208 | $725,510 | 21 | $725,510 | $964,373 | $556,000 |
| 2021 | $6,303,136 | $1,476,054 | $784,389 | $433,022 | 24 | $433,022 | $1,149,334 | $532,554 |
| 2020 | $5,984,000 | $1,104,073 | $795,408 | $561,313 | 28 | — | $872,519 | $510,072 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dan J Epstein Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $587K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas that include the arts, education, research, journalism, and cancer research. For example, Forward Momentum Chicago describes its mission as providing quality dance education to schools and communities with limited arts access. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association says its mission is to enrich, inspire, and transform lives through music, community engagement, and education. Children’s Cancer Research Fund says it fuels research for better treatments and cures for children with cancer.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $877,409. Grant amounts ranged from $527 to $196,399, with a median of $22,500. Among its largest grants were $196,399 to Juilliard School, $115,000 to Ben Brown Gallery, $102,500 to New World Symphony, and $100,000 to Forward Momentum Chicago. The foundation also gave $70,000 to Princeton University and $60,000 to Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dan J Epstein as president, treasurer, and director; Michael Friedberg as secretary; and Judith Guitelman as vice president. Each role is listed as needed.
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation is led by Dan J. Epstein, President As Needed, Treasurer As Needed & Director As Needed on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dan J. Epstein
President As Needed, Treasurer As Needed & Director As Needed
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Friedberg
Secretary As Needed
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Judith Guitelman
Vice President As Needed
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: William Pinsof (2020–2021) — Vice President As Needed
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Dan J Epstein Family Foundation
How much does Dan J Epstein Family Foundation give each year?
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation gave $877K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $819K across 28 grants.
What is Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $22,500, and its average grant was $39,882, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Dan J Epstein Family Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Dan J Epstein Family Foundation give grants?
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's top state is New York, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (26%) and Florida (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants) and Chicago, IL (6 grants).
Does Dan J Epstein Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Further the Charitable Works of the Organization." (22 grants).
Who are Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Julliard School ($196,399), Ben Brown Gallery ($115,000) and New World Symphony ($102,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Dan J Epstein Family Foundation?
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $877K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $587K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Dan J Epstein Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas that include the arts, education, research, journalism, and cancer research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dan J Epstein Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's EIN?
Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3807997. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Dan J Epstein Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Dan J Epstein Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Dan J Epstein Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dan-j-epstein-family-foundation-morg_32f28cf2d01444d9a574df171870e48c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263807997_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dan J Epstein Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dan-j-epstein-family-foundation-morg_32f28cf2d01444d9a574df171870e48c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Dan J Epstein Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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